1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices for reducing the glare of headlights of vehicles, particularly of motor vehicles, which include additional lighting for illuminating the surroundings of the headlight and designed and arranged in such a manner that it does not emit direct light in the direction of travel and is structurally combined with the headlight.
2. Prior Art
German Pat. No. 812,758 refers to an additional lamp which is attached laterally or above the main headlights of the vehicle in such a manner that the light rays of the additional lamp are emitted diagonally to the direction of travel in order to light the area on one side or on both sides of the vehicle.
Swiss Pat. No. 179,621 shows, besides the front headlights which can be dimmed and which produce a cone of light directed ahead, at least another such headlight attached laterally as a system to light the traveled path whose light beam has an opening up to at least 180.degree. with border-line rays parallel to the respective side of the vehicle for the purpose of obtaining a consistent, practically uniform transition of the light rays of the lateral headlight with respect to those of the front headlight located on the same side of the vehicle.
According to German Pat. No. 901,631 an additional headlight system for motor vehicles consists of a headlight casing rigidly connected to the vehicle into which several headlights are fixed and can be, optionally, turned on or off. The additional headlights can light angular areas deviating from those of the headlights normally forming part of the vehicle equipment. Two additional headlights are fastened to the fenders, whereby all light emissions are effected laterally as well as upwardly and downwardly for driving on roads with numerous curves and steep hills.
In the case of such prior art devices, the disadvantages are that, even though they are installed laterally or above the headlights, or in the headlight or partially on the fender, they only emit light laterally or diagonally away from the vehicle or headlight and only cover a small area. Such lighting systems actually do not reduce the glare of the headlight at all or only reduce it very little. They do not have a corresponding design or respective arrangement of reflectors as, for example, for the purpose of floodlighting of the headlight itself and of the additional headlights as well as their surroundings. It is also known from DT-OS No. 2,018,440 that an additional light arranged on the motor vehicle only lights up the lateral dark area or floodlights parts of the vehicle.